


Bloom! Episode 5 - The Two Princesses

by pashaimeru



Series: Bloom! [5]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Bad Ending, Corruption, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, Magical Girls, Mind Control
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2019-09-12
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:35:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21593173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pashaimeru/pseuds/pashaimeru
Summary: Our trio of heroines has to face some bitter realities of the world, and Edeltrude meets an old frenemy. In another world, it could all end up in concubinage.
Series: Bloom! [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1556194
Kudos: 14





	1. True Path

The zig-zagging beam of gold whizzed right by Bloom Hope’s left ear. “Eek!”

“Focus!” Bloom Sky said, rushing to protect her allies. “Spiral Shield!” The blue-white lines of energy formed a spiral in the air, blocking another erratic ray cast forth from the Lilin’s golden amulet.

“R-right! Wish Attraction!” She tried to tug the amulet away from her opponent’s hands, but the grip was too tight. Inhaling deep, the Lilin soon exhaled a cloud of glittery golden smoke, aimed at the two magical girls.

“Scatter! Don’t breathe it in!” The princess’s voice was audible for the both of them. Not hesitating, they kicked against the ground and propelled themselves back, not willing to risk a moment of exposure.

“Burst...!” A little figure appeared on the rooftop. The magical girl’s leg glowed bright yellow as she jumped off the roof to deliver an axe kick aimed straight at the Lilin.

Their opponent this time was the strangest and the most powerful one yet. The Auric Padishah was a gorgeous golden woman, tall and imposing, her eyes glowing emerald green. Her skin had a golden hue to it; her luscious hair was made of long, silky strand of gold; the exotic silk dress draping her body flowed like liquid gold. Golden pearls adorned her long neck and her slender wrists, golden chandelier earrings with inlaid emeralds hanging from her ears.

She turned her amulet—a green emerald eye set on a golden plate, dangling by a chain of gold—towards Lux, but she was a moment too late.

“Dream Wave!” Sofia’s attack knocked her hand aside just as she was releasing her attack, half a dozen erratic waves of energy flying out of the amulet, barely missing Bloom Lux as she descended onto the Lilin with the aid of gravity.

“...Meteor!”

Asphalt split, gravel and rocks flung about everywhere, one shattering the window of the local bakery. The bystanders were smart enough to cover their heads and crouch down—none of them seemed to have gotten hurt. The force of impact had been enough to send Lux herself flying down the street like a ragdoll, but she had done enough. The golden Lilin was lying unconscious in a crater.

“Bloom Cure!” Sofia yelled after running up to her, reaching for the dark shard within her. But this time, it was nowhere to be found. Within her was just an ocean of darkness. Carefully reaching out to touch it, Sofia brought the Princess’s light upon it... and it all began to vanish. Not just the darkness; the Lilin herself, starting to disappear into a glittery powder of light, carried away by the wind. “W-wait, no! I...!”

The people around them were cheering. To them, the magical girls had defeated a dangerous monster who had been stolen away many an innocent. They didn’t understand, they didn’t know she had been human.

“Hope. Let’s go,” Sky said, taking the pink magical girl by her hand and dragging her up.

* * *

The mood in Sofia’s room was gloomy, to say at least. The three girls were lying around, none of them feeling up for talking.

“You saved a lot of people,” Edeltrude said, looking over the girls from the mirror. “She’s never going to take anyone else, ever again. You haven’t done anything wrong.”

“But... if we’d found her quicker, we could have saved her. And those girls she took. They’re _gone_ now, because we...” Sofia’s voice was choked up. Fleur shuffled closer to her, putting an arm around her shoulder. Effie didn’t look up.

The princess bit her lip. “Miracles don’t always happen. The Auric Padishah hid herself well. We were lucky to catch her as early as we did.”

Sofia shook her head. Lucky? This didn’t feel right. They were _heroes_ , they were meant to save everyone. And they had failed. It wasn’t just Lilin herself that they had killed—many of her previous victims, too, had been doomed by their actions.

For the past week, the Auric Padishah had shown up around the town, capturing young girls and spiriting them away. Edeltrude had traced down her movements and predicted where she’d be likely to appear next, and the Blooms had set up a trap for her. The battle had been difficult: their opponent was powerful, and they were under a time constraint, having to defeat her before she’d be able to retreat back into her Lunaciasphere. They had triumphed, but at what cost?

A few of the captured girls had been found unconscious near where Auric Padishah had been defeated, but some were still missing. Most likely, the Lilin had permanently weaved them into the fabric of her world, corrupted them to the point where returning back to a human would be impossible for them. As their mistress had vanished, so had her world—and so had those girls.

“Why...” Effie said, speaking up for the first time since the event. “Why did it take you so long to find her? We were chasing after her for days! If we had been just a day or two earlier, we’d have...!”

Edeltrude looked pale. “I-I’m sorry. I... tried my best, I just...”

“Well, it wasn’t enough!”

An uncomfortable silence followed. The princess looked down, her shoulders shaking, before finally stepping back and vanishing from the reflection.

* * *

“She should apologise,” Fleur said, stirring her school lunch with her fork. “I understand that she’s angry. I’m angry, too. But Trudi didn’t deserve that.”

Dot crossed her arms, nodding sagely. “Hrmm... it really sounds like she was in the wrong, this time. She probably knows it too, but she’s waaay prouder than you’d think. It’s really tough to get her to say sorry.”

Sofia was silently eating her own meal. Fleur gave her a worried look. “How are you holding up, Sofia?” she asked. “...It’s probably harder for you than anyone.”

“I...” Sofia said, putting down her fork and looking up at her friends. “I think we need to be stronger. For Trudi’s sake. For everyone’s.”

Her tone was a surprise to Fleur and Dot both. She didn’t sound angry, or sad. She sounded serious, in a way that she seldom was.

“She has it way rougher than us!” Sofia continued. “She’s lost her entire world! Her every single friend! Her mother! She’s probably going to have to kill her the way we killed that Lilin!”

Fleur blinked. Dot was nodding along.

“And she’s all alone there in the mirror world too. What does she even do all day, while we’re at school or doing homework or watching TV with family? She’s probably looking for Lilin, thinking up ways to help us and save everyone!”

Fleur felt a bit guilty. Lowering her gaze, she nodded. “I have to admit I’ve had my misgivings about her, too. She gave us these powers, but her guidance hasn’t been perfect. She seems like she doesn’t know what she’s doing half the time, and sometimes, it feels like she has secrets she’s not telling us. But... she probably has her reasons, too. I trust her.”

“It’s going to be fine!” Dot said. “I’m gonna stop lending my comics to Effie until she apologises properly!”

* * *

The three magical girls went on their usual patrol after school that evening, walking around random parts of the town in an effort to sense something amiss. It hadn’t produced very useful results so far, but after what had happened with the Auric Padishah, none of them could imagine neglecting their duties.

They were in their normal forms for now. That had its advantages and disadvantages. Like this, they’d avoid attention from the townsfolk and the monsters alike. They had gotten rather famous as of late, pictures of them appearing in the town newspaper and the evening news. Though they had been worried that someone would recognise them, thankfully, they hadn’t had anything to worry about. Sofia had watched the news last night with Oliver, and as oblivious as her brother tended to be, if he hadn’t recognised his own sister on TV, it was unlikely anyone would.

The last time they had tried to patrol in their magical girl forms, they had been constantly stopped in the street, harassed with questions and requests to pose for pictures. An older gentleman had even seen it fit to wolf-whistle them; Sofia had had to restrain Effie from assaulting him.

That was a shame. Transformed, they were faster and could cover far more ground in far less time. They could run without being exhausted, leap from rooftop to rooftop. Which... while it sounded good, was decidedly less practical than the girls had imagined. Most of the town was suburbs, after all, and even if the houses were close enough to be leaped between, they didn’t want to bother the people living there by running all over their roofing.

“Effie...” Fleur said, a few minutes into their patrol.

The younger girl bristled. “I know! I know! I’ll apologise to her properly today. I was wrong!” she sighed. “It’s just that... it’s not fair.”

“It’s not. And it’s not her fault.”

“There’s trouble!” Edeltrude appeared, reflected on the windshield a nearby car. Effie looked flustered, but it didn’t look like the princess had heard their conversation.

“Is it a Lilin?” Fleur asked.

Edeltrude Shook her head. “No, it’s... something else. Someone else. Not from my world, but from another.”

“Another world?” Sofia asked. “What is it? What’s it like? Is it scary?”

“It’s Arcadia, the world of the Fae. It’s...”

“Fae? As in, fairies?!” There was a twinkle in the cinnamon-haired girl’s eyes. The other two looked interested as well.

Edeltrude shook her head. “It’s not like that. They’re crafty, dangerous and utterly selfish. I would hesitate to call them evil, knowing what my mother has become—but I would never trust them. Unless I absolutely had to.”

The three girls looked at each other. “But... they’re cute, right?” Sofia finally asked.

The princess sighed. “...Some are, but that’s not important right now! One of them is here, in this town. And if she is who I think she is, it could be...” She fell silent for a bit. “Good. Or bad. I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” Sofia asked, blinking.

“I’ll need to talk to her. Find somewhere secluded and change your forms. She’ll probably sense you and come find you. Please be careful around her.”

* * *

The three did as asked. There was a little grove on the outskirts of the town that few people ever visited outside of weekends. Transforming into their magical girl forms, they sat down on the rocks and waited.

“A fairy, huh...” Sofia said in a dreamy tone. “I wonder if she’s going to be pretty...”

Fleur sighed.

Effie crossed her arms, a thoughtful expression on her face. “Trudi said they’d be from the world of fairies. That doesn’t mean she’s going to be a fairy herself. She could be big, lumbering troll!”

Sofia looked sceptical. “Why would it be a troll?! If they’re going to send someone, they’re going to send someone pretty!”

“Why! You don’t even know what they’re here for!”

“Shh,” Fleur said, interrupting the conversation. Footsteps. Someone walking through the grass, approaching them, fallen leaves rustling beneath their feet.

The girl who drew into their sight was the prettiest one they’d ever seen. Edeltrude might’ve come close, but while she was a true beauty, the sheer delicate _charm_ of the approaching Fae girl would’ve melted just about anyone’s heart. She was young, perhaps roughly of Effie’s age if looks were to be believed. Her skin was pale but the blush on her cheeks was red and vibrant, her long, loose hair a pretty silver colour that seemed to glitter in sunlight. She looked like a precious doll; her every feature was soft and fragile, from her exposed shoulders, her slim wrists and ankles to the little toes left exposed by her sandals, her nails painted a delicate pink.

She was, quite visibly, not human. Her radiant green eyes were just a bit too large for her face; her ears were long and pointed; there was a pair of gossamer butterfly wings behind her, so thin and transparent they seemed to be made out of pure light. There was a simple green sundress draped over her small body. Her wrists and neck, her ears and her hair were adorned with silver bands, tiny pearls, gemstones and flowers, the jewellery only enhancing her resplendent beauty.

Sofia would’ve said ‘I told you so’ to Effie if their argument hadn’t already been forgotten. Each of the three girls were wordlessly staring at the unearthly beauty of the faerie girl before them, uncertain how to even greet her. Thankfully, she took the initiative.

“Good afternoon,” she said, lifting up the hems of her dress and giving a perfect little curtsy, one that brought in mind the way Edeltrude had originally greeted them. “I am Princess Anatheia, of the Seelie Court of Flowers. I apologise for intruding upon your realm, but my matter is most urgent. I seek Princess Edeltrude. Might you know where I could find her?”

Even her voice was so soft and melodic it was like listening to a song. Effie was the first to react, standing up as quick as she could and giving an awkward bow in return. “I... we...” she mumbled, silently pinching her own thigh. “We’re with her! She wanted to meet you!” Sofia and Fleur stood up as well, nodding quickly.

Anatheia stepped closer and smiled brightly at the three girls. There was a fragrant scent in the air around her. Not like perfume, but close enough. Wildflowers, honey and sunlight. Fleur bit her lip. She really _was_ dangerous. Sofia was still staring at her with her mouth open.

“I thought I sensed her presence within you,” she said, giggling softly. “You are her new guards, yes? She always manages to get the cute ones.”

Sofia was clenching her fingers. Half of her wanted to get up close and wrap the young fairy girl to her embrace, the other half horrified at the mere thought of touching the girl. She looked so fragile, so ethereal in her beauty that it felt that she might just vanish in thin air if touched.

Effie cleared her throat. “We’re her friends. We promised to help her. We aren’t her guards or anything like that. Fleur, do you have the mirror?”

The fairy princess beamed. “My apologies. Then, I’m glad she’s found such cute friends!”

“O-oh! Yes. One second...” Fleur said, reaching down into the backpack she’d brought with her, producing a small silver mirror. She set it down to rest against a tree trunk.

“...Anatheia,” came the princess’s voice from the mirror. There was an unusually harsh edge to it. “Don’t do anything strange to my friends.”

Turning towards the mirror, Anatheia gave it another perfect little curtsy before innocently tilting her head. “Strange? Whatever could you mean, Princess Edeltrude?”

The three magical girls remained standing, unsure if they could sit or not. This was out of their league. Two magical princesses from two different worlds, both heart-wrenchingly beautiful in their own ways.

The golden-haired princess did not seem to share the Blooms’ reverence towards the visitor. “Don’t give me that. I know what you’re like,” she said, crossing her arms in front of her. “So? Have you come with an answer? Do we have a deal?”

“My father has shown some interest in it. He needs some further time for deliberation between the nobles of our realm, but...”

“You mean you haven’t made any progress at all?!” Edeltrude asked. Her little reflection looked furious. “That’s what you told me the last time! Do you understand that we’re in a hurry? This decision needs to be made before it’s too late!”

“I think you misunderstand my position, Edeltrude.” The fairy girl seemed entirely unfazed by the outburst. “I hold precious little power within our realm. All I have is my castle and my servants. Even if the matter would come to a vote, my voice would count for nothing at all.”

“We’ve been through this! You can’t possibly think I’m that stupid. Your father cherishes you. He cares about nothing else as much as you. All he’d need to raise an army and invade my mother’s realm was a polite request from you and a little kiss on his cheek!”

Anatheia giggled. “The rumours are wildly exaggerated, I’m afraid. I’m just his daughter. I don’t tell him what he should be doing as the king, any more than you tell your mother what she should be doing as the empress.”

Edeltrude glared daggers at the fairy princess. Even Sofia, as enraptured as she was by the visitor, could sense the tension in the air. Finally though, the golden-haired girl sighed. “Just... please. They must understand. My mother will not be content with merely taking over our own world. The darkness will eternally hunger for more. In time, she will come for us all: this world, and yours, and everything else. Why wait until she’s at the height of her power? Why not strike now?”

“I understand, Edeltrude. I worry as well. I would be lying if I said I didn’t. Politics amongst the Seelie are not as clear and simple as they appear to be, however. Rest assured that my father understands the gravity of the situation.”

“...Very well.” Edeltrude nodded. “Then, if there is no news, what are you here for?”

Anatheia clapped her tiny hands together. “I wanted to see how you were adjusting to this world, of course! You are a dear friend, and I’d hate to see you unwell. Your new guards—forgive me, friends—are a matter of great interest to me as well.” Crouching down a bit, her face now close to the mirror, the fairy princess blinked curiously. “I did not expect you to stay in the world in-between, though. Does it not get lonely there? Boring? Have you got no servants to pamper you, books to read, flowers to tend?”

“S-silence!” Edeltrude said, sounding like she was trying to salvage some last bits of her pride. “Are you here just to mock me, then? You know what my situation is like. Presenting myself in the reality proper would just be calling my mother’s minions to me. I stand out like a beacon!”

There was a bit of a twinkle in Anatheia’s vibrant green eyes. “I would never mock you, Edeltrude. In fact, I might be able to help you. It is possible to conceal you from your mother’s eyes. Did you not think to ask of us? The Faerie are second to none when it comes to hiding one’s presence.”

“I...” Edeltrude said. “What would you ask?”

“Maybe...” Anatheia leaned closer, whispering something too quiet for any of the three magical girls to hear.

Edeltrude shook her head. “You must be out of your mind! You... you really are here to mock me, aren’t you?!”

The fairy princess giggled. “Unacceptable, then? That is a shame. Perhaps we can come up with a more agreeable arrangement. I will need to think on this.”

“Wait. I don’t have anything right now, but—”

“I think I will want to talk to your friends now. The poor things are looking rather neglected.”

“Don’t even think about—”

Anatheia reached for the mirror, grabbing it gently... and turning it upside down on the grass. Standing up, she gave the three magical girls the most charming little smile they’d ever seen. “Now then... would you mind introducing yourselves?”

Fleur reacted first. Grabbing Sofia by the wrist, she whispered into her ear. “No real names. Remember?”

“J-jeez! I know,” Sofia said, hastily giving Anatheia a curtsy, just a little better than the one she’d given Edeltrude three weeks ago. “I’m Bloom Hope. It’s a pleasure to meet you, princess!”

Effie nodded. “Bloom Lux.”

“...And Bloom Sky,” Fleur said, looking over to the mirror. “Did you really have to do that? I don’t know how they do things in your world, but that was a kind of a rude gesture.”

Anatheia looked up at the orange-haired magical girl, blinking innocently. “I just wanted to get to know you better. Edeltrude is a good friend, but she does get jealous. I felt it’d be better if we could talk in private, without distractions.”

Sofia nodded, seemingly completely convinced. The other two girls, while still taken by the faerie princess’s unearthly beauty, were less comfortable with the situation. “So, what do you wanna know?” Effie asked. “I don’t think we can share too much.”

“Of course,” Anatheia said, looking over the three girls with curiosity. “I mostly know what you’ve been doing, anyway. Fighting Lilin and helping Edeltrude maintain the barrier. That’s good. She needs all the help she can get, after all. Things are really rough for her, and I’m glad she has new friends like you!”

“Ehehe...” Sofia kept nodding, bashfully rubbing her cheek. “We’re just doing what we can!”

“I was a bit curious as to how she has promised to reward you for your services, though,” Anatheia continued, looking over each of the three Blooms with her wide green eyes. “She is a princess, after all. A princess of a kingdom of miracles and magic, and you’re her last hope. She must have promised you the moon and the stars, right?”

“...We’re not helping her for the sake of a reward,” Fleur said. As charmed as she had been in the young girl’s presence, she was starting to have some misgivings about her. “We’re protecting our town. And we’re there for her because we want to be.”

“I see. That’s just like her, I suppose.” Anatheia let out a cute little sigh, shaking her head. “I understand. You want to help her. You might even say that you’re obliged to help her, since it’s your town in danger as well. But that’s a bit unfair, isn’t it? You didn’t ask to be burdened by this responsibility, you didn’t ask for the Princess to bring her fight to your home and expose your people to danger.”

The three girls were quiet. Walking up to Sofia, Anatheia took by her hand. The soft, warm touch of her little fingers was too much for the pink magical girl: she found herself blushing, her face matching the tone of her costume.

The Fae princess continued, looking up at her and smiling. “So, hear me out. I’m not telling you to stop what you’re doing, but I think you’re being cheated. I think you could be doing what you’re doing and still receive proper compensation.” Anatheia’s eyes twinkled as she looked up at the three girls. “Work for me instead. Become my knights. In return, I’ll give you things you couldn’t even have dreamed of. Gold and treasure. Titles and land. Would you like to be duchesses? That can be arranged. You can have your own castles with a hundred servants tending to your every need. Your own gardens with fruit and game, more delicious than anything you’ve ever tried. I could even make you immortal, unaging, young and pretty forever. You could live eternally in a paradise with me, surrounded by pleasure and beauty.”

There was something about the princess’s tone it that made it impossible not to picture oneself surrounded by the luxury and bliss that her words were painting. Sofia stood mesmerised, her hand still held in Anatheia’s own; Fleur, too, was finding it difficult to find the words to describe her feelings. Nodding slowly at the faerie princess, Effie took a step forward. Anatheia turned to her with a smile, offering her her other hand.

Bloom Lux didn’t take it. Instead, she grabbed the young princess by her bare shoulders, staring her straight in her bright, green eyes. “We told you, we’re Trudi’s friends. We aren’t some bodyguards for hire. We aren’t something you can snatch away from her because you think we’re cute, or because you’re envious of her or something. I dunno what you’re trying to pull, but you aren’t gonna bribe us with castles and stuff.”

“But—”

“No means no. Get out of here, the conversation is over.”

Fleur blinked and cleared her throat. Even Sofia had snapped out of it, taking her hand back and looking a bit embarrassed. Letting go of the Fae princess, Effie crossed her arms and glared at her.

Even the way Anatheia frowned was cute, with a childish little pout. “Fine. It was just a proposal. You don’t have to take it if you are not interested,” she said, the gossamer wings behind her beating the air in frustration. Taking a deep breath, she seemed to calm down. “I will keep the offer open, though. And if there’s anything else you think I could help you with, all you need to do is to ask. I would be happy to help Edeltrude’s friends in any way I can.” She turned away to leave, walking down the path she’d come. As she did, her body rapidly began to vanish, dissolving into flower petals that were swiftly swept aside by a gust of wind. She was gone within moments.

“Bueee.” Effie stuck her tongue out at her, the other two magical girls shuffling their feet. The last few minutes had felt like a dream. They had been taken in by the young faerie’s charms so thoroughly they’d practically forgotten to breathe. Neither Sofia nor Fleur wanted to acknowledge—not even to themselves—how tempted by the girl’s offer they had been. Now that she was gone, though, rationality prevailed.

Fleur clenched her fists. The fact that she found herself already missing Anatheia’s presence made her angry with both the Fae girl and herself. Her emotions had been toyed with; it felt like she had been violated. She glanced at Sofia, studied her expression. The pink-haired magical girl was looking down at her feet, rubbing her hand where the princess had touched her. What was she feeling, right now...?

“Let’s go back,” Effie said, picking up the mirror and handing it over to Fleur. “No use standing around here anymore.”

* * *

“Nice job, Lyn! Another win for you. Somehow, you’ve become the most reliable of the three of us.” The girl in green gave a gentle smile for her friend. It wasn’t returned, not really. Still, the look on Edelynn’s face wasn’t entirely hostile.

“The Lilin have proved to be more difficult to control than I had anticipated. I suppose it’s the nature of their powers. Selfish desires and dark fantasies amplified. At best, it’s going to be controlled chaos.”

“Mmm...” Ione said, walking over and gently grabbing her friend by her arm. The girl with the crimson lips flinched, just a bit. “So, what’s your secret? Is it in your method, in how you tempt them? Or is it some function of the items you give them? Or are you just more selective in picking your targets than Bet or I?”

“If...” Edelynn said, frowning a bit. She pulled her arm away. “If I had to choose between those options, perhaps I’d say I’m selective. I choose those with more capacity for long term planning. I give them what they want, and I instruct them to stay in hiding and build up their power before engaging those who could threaten them. I suppose it does not always work. The Auric Padishah seemed promising at first, but she lost control of her desires. And she paid the price for it.”

The other girl nodded. “I think I get what you mean. You have a knack for picking the clever ones. I wish I had your foresight. I always end up getting drawn to those who feel like they could use some help. I just can’t resist someone in plight.” She sighed.

“It’s not a bad approach, giving the powers to those who truly want and need them. Higher compatibility leads to better results. It leads to the Lilin starting out stronger and having a higher potential overall.” The red-haired girl’s tone was dry. She wasn’t praising the other girl; she was simply describing things as they were.

“Oh, you’re making me blush,” Ione said, eliciting another annoyed little frown from her friend. “I’m doing what I can, but it’s going to take a lot of practice before I can match you. I’m so happy that you believe in me, though!”

Edelynn scoffed. “You’re doing better than Lilibeth is. I don’t understand what she thinks she’s doing. Picking her targets at random, forcibly turning them into Lilin and leaving them with minimal guidance and vague instructions. She’ll accomplish nothing, at this rate.”

“Quantity over quality... maybe? She’s been hard at work, too. She just needs a little practice.”

“The Empress has personally tasked us with finding her daughter. This is no time for _practice_. She will want results, and if Lilibeth is unable to provide them, she’ll find no place in Her Grace’s new world.”

“Aww, Lyn,” Ione said, hugging the pale girl from behind. “You should believe in your friends. In me and Lilibeth, and Trudi, too. We’re all going to be together in the end, I just know it.”

Edelynn let out an exasperated noise, wriggling herself free. “...I suppose that would be the best end result, yes,” she said, walking back her laboratory without another word.

Ione smiled. Changed as she might’ve been, Lyn was still Lyn deep inside.


	2. Another Fate

”That’s not really my job, you know. You should ask La... what do you mean she’s asleep?!”

Though she’s youngest of the three _Moirai_ , the girl speaking is a full head taller than the middle sister. She frowns deeply, her eyes filled with life that simply isn’t present in the gaze of her siblings. She is, after all, the Ninth, the artist with the spindle, far closer to humanity than the other two.

Looking at her visitor, she shakes her head. “You know the rules, right? Even you can’t force me to do anything I don’t want to. And if you try making demands, I’m going to kick you out. Are we clear on this?”

The response she gets seems to satisfy her, if only a little. Crossing her arms, she huffs. “I don’t see things the way she does, but I know the threads I spin. You want to see what I’ve done? Then, go ahead. Take a peek.” The finger she points with is long and dexterous. The thread she shows is yet unfinished. A work in progress.

“No,” she says, anticipating the visitor’s question. “The Princess of Flowers had no interest in doing anything so rash. You want to know what she’s thinking? Too bad. You’ll just have to wait and see.” She seems to take some satisfaction in denying her guest’s request.

“...I did,” she says, answering the second question. Backtracking on her thread and pointing out a branch. “Here, see?”

The battle against the golden woman. The three champions are at their wit’s end, desperate to put an end to their enemy. In the main branch—the one currently being spun—they handle themselves well. But mistakes happen when cooler heads do not prevail.

“You want my help? Too bad. I’m busy, so you’re on your own. You can keep looking if you don’t distract me from my work.”

* * *

The zig-zagging beam of gold whizzed right by Bloom Hope’s left ear. “Eek!”

“Focus!” Bloom Sky said, rushing to protect her allies. “Spiral Shield!” The blue-white lines of energy formed a spiral in the air, blocking another erratic ray cast forth from the Lilin’s golden amulet.

“R-right! Wish Attraction!” She tried to tug the amulet away from her opponent’s hands, but the Lilin was holding on too tight. She inhaled deep, and—

“Burst...!” A little figure appeared on the rooftop. The magical girl’s leg glowed bright yellow as she jumped off the roof to deliver an axe kick aimed straight at the Lilin.

Bloom Lux had been just a bit too hasty. She had agreed to wait for an opening before revealing herself, but she had misread the situation, believing that Hope’s attack had successfully disarmed the Auric Padishah. Without missing a beat, the golden woman turned her green eyes towards the new threat, exhaling a cloud of glittery golden smoke towards her.

“...Me—ah!”

“Lux! W-Wish Attra—” Hope tried to yell, attempting to tug Lux back from the cloud of smoke, but she was too slow. The young magical girl had already fallen through it, painfully landing on the ground next to the Padishah, unconscious before she had even hit the ground.

The golden woman lifted up her amulet again, conjuring up a barrage of a dozen warped rays of gold aimed at the remaining two magical girls. Sky lifted up her barrier again, blocking the shots. “Spiral Shield! Hope, we have to—”

The attack had been a distraction enough. The Lilin lifted up the small magical girl’s body off the ground, holding her in her arms. Their bodies were already dissipating into glittering dust. She was retreating into her Lunaciasphere, and if she was allowed to fully vanish, there’d be no way to follow.

“Lux!” Hope yelled, rushing forwards with Sky. The Padishah vanished right before they had managed to grab their friend, but the gateway was still flickering, partially open. If previous experience had taught them anything, it’d be gone within a second.

“No! Don’t follow her!” Edeltrude yelled, but to no avail. Sofia and Fleur had already rushed in, vanishing into golden dust as the gate closed behind them.

* * *

Golden smoke. It had filled her lungs, blinded her, made her limbs heavy and her mind cloudy. That had been all that had greeted Sofia after stepping through that barrier and entered the pseudoreality created by the Lilin’s dark magic. Together with Fleur, they’d been incapacitated within seconds. And then... and then what?

The magical girl opened her eyes, slowly. It took some effort: her eyelids felt heavy. So did the rest of her body. She wasn’t in pain, she didn’t even feel particularly tired. It was just as if her body had been made out of lead and she simply didn’t have the strength to move it.

The room she was in was circular in shape. The walls were white marble, the floor covered with a thick, plush carpet. Sofia herself had been laid on a pile of colourful satin pillows, improbably soft and luxurious, arranged under her for maximum comfort. There were gold-framed mirrors on the walls, elaborately embroidered silk fabrics hanged from the ceiling and a beautiful gold chandelier illuminating the room with soft, pleasant light. It was like a palace from fairy tales, too ostentatious and beautiful to be real.

And it clearly wasn’t. This wasn’t the real world. Realising where she was, Sofia began to struggle, trying to force her listless body to move. “U-ugh... L-Lux, Sky, where...” she mumbled, managing to almost lift her upper body up... only to find herself gently pressed down again.

“Shh. Please, relax. Your friends are safe, and so are you. There is nothing to be afraid of.”

Only then did Sofia realise she wasn’t alone. Turning her head, she saw two girls, teenagers older than her—and though they had changed since then, she could recognise them from the news reports. The Padishah’s first victims, the two girls she had stolen away on her very first appearance nearly a week ago. Sofia had wondered what had become of them, and now she had her answer.

Clad in red silks that left little to imagination, the two girls had been given a through makeover. With glossy golden lips and long golden nails, dark, dramatic eyeshadow around their eyes, the once ordinary looking girls now seemed exotic and sensual. Their irises had turned a beautiful golden hue as well, giving them a slightly inhuman look, marking their transformation in the Lilin’s hands.

Their costume covered very little, consisting of transparent harem trousers and a silk wrap to cover their chest—the red cloth was thin enough for Sofia to see the shape of their bodies even through it. Both of them were heavily adorned with golden jewellery, with a plethora of bracelets and anklets jingling against each other, layered necklaces, navel piercings and long teardrop earrings inlaid with rubies.

Whatever had been done to them had brought out all of their hidden sensuality. Their hair had been cut to perfection, even the golden toenails left exposed by their heeled sandals finely manicured. The subtle jasmine perfume they wore was exotic and suggestive, every little movement of their body graceful and deliberate. They were beautiful, but it all felt _wrong_. This wasn’t who they truly were. Sofia could sense the Lilin’s dark influence on them. The Auric Padishah had changed them, remade them. These girls were meant to be normal students with friends and a loving family. Instead, they had been made into harem maidens, warped to the Lilin’s whims.

“L-let go!” Sofia said, trying to wriggle free from the grip of the scantily clad minions. It was a pointless endeavour. They barely had to use any strength to keep the magical girl down—and even if they hadn’t, she’d have been too weak to get up anyway.

Sofia felt all wrong. She was still in her magical girl form, complete with her pink costume and bright pink hair—but she felt no powers within her. Had the golden smoke she inhaled stripped her of her powers, or was it a property of the Lunaciasphere itself? She was as weak and helpless as a baby. Fear gripped her heart. What were her options? What was going to happen to her?

“Such a cute costume. Does it not get stuffy, though?” one of the girls asked.

The other one giggled. “I want to see what you look like underneath...” she said, reaching down to take off Sofia’s heeled shoes and peel down her white pantyhose.

Sofia’s heart skipped a beat. “W-w-w-what are you doing? Stop! NO!”

The magical girl’s protests went to deaf ears. It took the older girls only a moment to strip off the rest of the costume as well, leaving only the silver tiara on her head. They had undressed her like a doll, her dress and the pink bra underneath carelessly discarded to side. Lying there, fully in the nude, her slender body exposed, Sofia’s magenta eyes were filled with tears of shame. Being naked was bad enough—she couldn’t remember the last time anyone had seen her in the nude. It was made far worse still by the unashamed curiosity of the harem girls as they carefully studied her body, hungrily eyeing her developing chest and the virgin slit hid by her tightly closed legs.

“You’re so pretty,” one of the girls said, tracing a fingertip over her bare stomach. The magical girl gasped; as heavy as her body felt, it was as sensitive as it’d ever been. “So young, but so pretty. Mistress is going to love you. You’ll make for a fine maiden to serve her.”

“No... no...” Sofia mumbled, shaking her head in disbelief. She didn’t want to be like these girls. She didn’t want herself to be seen like this. “What are you doing? Where... are my friends?” she finally asked, the sense of dread further rising within her chest.

“Shh,” one of the girls said, pressing her finger gently against her lips. “No questions. You’re so tense, you poor thing. Your head so full of thoughts and fears. Mistress has asked us to give you a proper welcome, to make you feel the best you’ve ever felt. This won’t do at all.” Reaching down as if to kiss the magical girl, she softly exhaled—glittery golden smoke escaping her lips.

Sofia coughed. Her body felt even heavier, now, a haze falling over her mind. She was still scared out of her wits, but the clouds in her mind made it more difficult to focus on it—to focus on anything. “P-please don’t. I’ve never... I’ve never...” she mumbled, not finding the right words. With a soft little laugh, the other of the harem girls leaned in closer, focusing on Sofia’s magenta eyes.

“You’ve never what? You’ve never slept with anyone?” she asked, her voice soft and mellow.

The pink-haired girl sniffed and gave a tiny little nod.

“Have you ever touched yourself down there? Have you ever made yourself feel good?”

“N-no,” Sofia sobbed, her gaze fixated on those golden eyes. “So please, don’t...”

The golden-eyed took Sofia’s hand to her own, squeezing it gently, kissing her fingers. “There’s no need to be scared. We’ll be gentle. We won’t hurt you. We just want you to be comfortable and enjoy yourself, so please, relax. Don’t you feel good right now? It’s not too cold, it’s not too hot. The pillows under you are soft. You’re a beautiful girl, and we only want to make you happy.”

Whether it was the girl’s gaze, or her soft words, or effects of the golden smoke filling up her mind, Sofia couldn’t help but to relax. Her heartbeat slowed, tension in her body melting away. The other girl leaned closer again. “Are you ready?”

Sofia wasn’t, but she didn’t have time to protest: the harem girl’s golden lips had already wrapped against her own. Having never kissed anyone like this before, Sofia didn’t know what to expect; she found her own lips being forced open, the older girl suckling on them, forcing her tongue inside. It was a passionate kiss, an _adult_ one, unlike any she had ever witnessed first-hand. Her first instinct was to reject it, to try to pull her head away, but as soon as the golden smoke began pouring down her throat again, she found her resistance crumbling. Weakly, clumsily, she found herself responding to the kiss, her own tongue awkwardly trying to meet the other’s.

And then it was over. The jewelled girl had pulled back, a thin line of saliva between their mouths breaking mid-air. Sofia panted weakly, her magenta eyes unfocused, a shudder of pleasure and heat passing through her body. “Good girl,” the older girl said, praising her, kissing her on the forehead. “Close your eyes. Let us take care of you for now.”

Some part of her still wanted to resist, but she felt too weak. She didn’t want to fight anymore. The haze of pleasure was far preferable to the cold fear from earlier, and if obeying the girls would help her banish that feeling, she’d be more than happy to do so.

“Open your legs, please,” came the request, and with some dread, the magical girl did just so. She sobbed again as she felt the light touch of fingers tracing a path over her girlhood, but once again, the fear melted away into a cry of pleasure as she felt a finger slowly slide in, deliberately brushing against her clit.

“You’re such a cute girl,” the other girl whispered into her ear, her hands moving to cup Sofia’s small breasts, gently squeezing them, pinching her nipples between her thumb and her index finger. There was another little cry from the magical girl, her body tensing up as a jolt of pleasure pierced through.

“I’m... I’m still not... ready, I...” Sofia said, desperation in her voice. The older girls laughed softly, one of them kissing her on the cheek.

“But you are ready. You’re already so wet. Don’t worry, we’ll make sure your first time will be as pleasant as it can possibly be...”

The further protests went ignored. One of the girls kissed her neck, licked her breasts, pinched her nipples and held her tight. The other one slowly, meticulously, slid her finger in and out of the magical girl’s virgin sex, her bracelets jingling rhythmically as her hand moved.

They took their time, meticulously bringing Sofia closer and closer to her peak—and as soon as she climaxed, a weak whimper escaping her, one of the girls leaned in to kiss her again. Exhaling deeply, deeply, filling her lungs with golden smoke, holding the trembling girl close and not letting her go.

“Did that feel good?” one of the girls finally asked. They were holding her close, gently kissing the back of her neck. Sofia nodded, even though she didn’t know what she was feeling right now. Her head was empty, and she felt emotionally numb. She’d never felt as good as she had right then; she had never felt so scared or violated, either. Now, cuddling with the girls who had played with her body against her will, breathing in their jasmine scent, she didn’t know what to think.

They had cleaned up her tear-stained face with a silk scarf—then bringing it down to brush her thighs clean as well. They’d brought in a plate of grapes and dark chocolate and citrus-scented water for her to drink. Now they were hand-feeding her and playing with her hair. Sofia didn’t find it in herself to resist. She had no pride left, not anymore. “...What’s going to happen to me? Where are my friends?” she asked, only to find a finger pressing against her lips again.

“There’s no need to worry about such things. Are you feeling sleepy? You can sleep,” one of the girls said, again leaning to kiss her on the top of her head. “We’ll be here when you wake up. I promise.”

Sleep did sound good. Sofia didn’t have the energy to think anymore. Closing her eyes, she drifted away into deep slumber, still held tightly by the golden-eyed girls. “Doesn’t it feel good?” they said, though it could’ve just been a dream. “To just let go and be guided? To stop thinking and let yourself be loved...”

* * *

“A-ah!”

“That was a cute sound just now, Fleur. You’re such a sweet thing.” The golden-eyed girls giggled together.

“I-it’s because you touched...!” the blue-haired girl protested, but she made no movement to resist. She hadn’t, for a while now.

“Shh. Let us take care of you. It’s alright, you don’t have to hold back. Make all the sounds you want. Oh, and it looks like you’ve gotten wet again; don’t worry, we’ll clean it up for you.” Fleur could feel the touch of a silk cloth between her legs; she buried her head into her arms in shame.

“Let’s continue, shall we?” The girl behind her asked, putting her warm hands back on her shoulders, resuming the massage. Fleur could feel the tension in her body melting away, her whole being shuddering with pleasure. Another one of the harem girls had just finished filing her toenails and was now painting them with a golden sheen. She had been bathed by them, had her hair washed by them. They had dried her off and laid her down, given her a massage and a manicure. What little protests she had left had fallen to deaf ears, as usual.

How had it come to this? How long ago was it that she had been caught? A full day, perhaps, or closer to two? She had tried to fight back at first, of course, but there was nothing she could do. And soon enough, there had been nothing she had needed to do. The girls took care of everything; feeding her, cleaning her, pleasuring her, telling her what to feel and what to think. She sniffed; the feeling of helpless frustration was still there, but the touch of the girls’ hands felt so good, their sweet voice banishing all protests that she tried to muster.

She looked at her hands, at her perfectly manicured golden nails, barely suppressing another moan as she felt a light slap against her buttocks. Another wave of shame passed through her. Since when had something like that felt so good? Since when had she become like this?

“Let’s get you turned around, shall we?” they said, helping the blue-haired girl turn on her back, bringing her a pillow to rest her neck comfortably against. The girls had prepared something for her: golden lipstick and eyeshadow, jingling golden jewellery adorned with sky-blue gemstones. Once again, she wanted to protest, but the words died in her throat as she saw the pretty smiles of the older girls.

“The piercings might hurt a little, but soon we’ll have you as beautiful as you can be. Mistress will be pleased. You want to be pretty for her, right?” they asked. “Oh, please don’t cry. Here, here...”

Bringing a silk cloth to her face, they gently dabbed away Fleur’s tears. It’s not that she didn’t want this: she _did._ She did want to be pretty for Mistress. She was losing herself, and there was nothing she could do.

* * *

Effie breathed in deep. The incense burner behind her was spreading the glittery golden smoke through the room. The more she breathed, the easier it was for her to not think. The less she thought, the better she danced. The better she danced, the sooner she’d be able to meet her Mistress.

She could see herself reflect in the mirrors on the walls. Her small body, light yellow silk covering her flat chest and her narrow waist. A childish figure, compared to the fellow maidens watching the display—but she moved so beautifully, with such grace, that it didn’t matter. Her layered necklace, her anklets and bracelets, her chandelier earrings, all making their own rhythmic sounds as she moved with the music, letting her passions guide her step. The topaz jewel on her navel glittered in the light of the braziers, few droplets of sweat glistening on her skin.

The room clapped after she’d finished her dance. One of the maidens pulled her close, kissing her quickly on the lips. “Well done! Such a beautiful dance. There’s not much more for us to teach you.”

Effie felt proud, accepted. Looking into the mirror, comparing herself with the others, she already felt like one of them. Inviting golden lips, long golden nails, only a single detail marring her perfection. Her eyes, surrounded by dark makeup, had not yet changed. They had the bright yellow tone of her magical girl form, not the dull golden beauty that the other maidens possessed. But that, too, would soon change.

“Thank you,” she said in a clear voice. “Is there is any other way I may serve?” She already had an idea what would be asked of her, but it was not proper to make assumptions. She would be told what she would do. That was her lot in life, that was her joy.

“Mistress will expect you to fulfil her every need,” the older girl said, leaning down and whispering the instructions into the former magical girl’s ear.

Effie smiled and kneeled, pulling down the other maiden’s harem trousers, leaning in to kiss her shaved sex. She breathed in deep. The more she breathed, the easier it was for her to not think...

* * *

The Auric Padishah laid on her bed, eyeing the newly trained servants. Ordinarily, she would’ve had half a dozen harem maidens in her room at all times, pampering and pleasuring her—but she had sent them away for now, wishing to give her full attention to the three girls in front of her. They were younger than the others she had captured, but oh-so-cute; and the dark glow of the tainted shards within them was a treasure she could now finally possess.

It had taken some effort from her servants to erode away the girls’ will, but it appeared they had succeeded. Clad in pink, blue and yellow silks, adorned with gold, they were obediently standing before their new Mistress, their faces submissively downcast, a dull look in their eyes.

“Sofia, was it?” she asked. The pink-haired one took one step forward.

“Yes, Mistress.” As much as she tried to conceal it, the Padishah could sense both eagerness and anxiety within her otherwise clear voice. It amused her. It would take some more training to wash away such imperfections, but they were acceptable for now. In a sense, they only served to make her seem even sweeter.

“Come to me.”

The pink-haired girl obeyed, climbing onto the bed to be with her Mistress, presenting herself for inspection. The Padishah smiled, stroking the girl’s thigh absent-mindedly as she looked over her. She had a slender body and a cute face. She was already looking forward to having it between her legs. “Sofia,” she finally said. “You and your companions fought against me. You opposed me, tried to destroy me.”

There was no response. No doubt the pink-haired girl was feeling guilt and regret, but she had been explicitly trained not to show negative emotions.

“Despite that, would you now wish to serve me? To dedicate your soul and body to me, become a maiden of my eternal palace?”

“Yes, Mistress,” came the response again. Just a little dreamy and wistful.

“Then, you must give up everything. Your former life, your memories, your friends and your family. Your name, your soul, your existence as a human,” she said, leaning just a bit closer to whisper into her ear. “You’ll be nothing but my shadow. A fixture of my palace. Eternally a slave. Is this your wish, Sofia?”

The pink-haired girl’s heart beat a bit faster. “...Yes, Mistress,” she said, shivering a bit. The other girls were still standing by the doorway, waiting for their turn, reacting in no way.

“Then...” the Padishah said, pushing the former magical girl onto her bed. “Be mine.”

She locked her lips with Sofia’s own. Exhaling deeply, letting her golden smoke fill not just her lungs, but her very essence. It burned away everything it touched: her memories, her name, her sense of self. It painted over her soul with gold, depriving her of her humanity, eternally binding her to the Lilin who had claimed her. It consumed the crystal shard within her, making it her Mistress’ own. She didn’t struggle; there was just a helpless little moan as the girl who she used to be was finally extinguished.

When the Auric Padishah pulled away, the girl who had once been Sofia opened her now-golden eyes. There were just a few tears on her cheeks. That much was to be expected.

“Thank you, Mistress,” she whispered, a little smile on her golden lips.


End file.
